not follow immediately the pardon of his sins, suggests, whether intentionally or not, the general idea, that the sufferings of man may continue after his forgiveness. It does not follow, therefore, that because a man is afflicted, he is not pardoned. It is true that the subjective character of his afflictions changes at once with the pardoning act: they are no longer punitive, but corrective; their penal character is merged in the disciplinary; the sufferer feels in his pains, not the stroke of justice, but the rod of love; not the rigidly just treatment of an offended sovereign, but the merciful chastisement of an affectionate father. Whilst pardon does not immediately terminate the existence of suffering, it immediately terminates the punitiveness of suffering.

VI. HIS PARDONING PREROGATIVE WILL ULTIMATELY INSURE THE ENTIRE RESTORATION OF THE SOUL AND BODY OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO EXPERIENCES IT. "And he arose and departed to his own house." Mark says, "And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." A new current of life ran through his veins; his dead limbs revived; he stood up buoyant and hale; walked to his home with the step of vigorous manhood, and the bounding heart of a pardoned saint.

In this restored man, here, "before" the "amazed" multitude, strong in the might of manhood, and happy in the blessed consciousness of eternal love, I see a picture and a pledge of the myriads of the redeemed, who shall rise from their graves, with bodies formed for unending life, and "fashioned like unto the glorious body of Jesus Christ."

Germs of Thought.

SUBJECT:-The Use of Christianity.

"When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto

him, Follow me." &c.-John xxi. 18-23.

Analysis of Homily the Hundred and Seventy-ninth.

THESE words are part of an interesting conversation which Christ had with Peter, after His resurrection from the dead. In the fourteenth verse we are told, that this was the third

time of His appearing to His disciples. He had appeared before, to the women, to Cephas, and to James, and to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. The Sea of Tiberius was the scene where He now displayed Himself:—a sea whose restless surface, and whose silent shores, had often felt His presence and witnessed His miracles.

I shall use the incident before us to illustrate the true service of Christianity to man. Perhaps there is no question so generally discussed, in such a variety of forms, and for such different purposes, and upon which such a diversity of opinion prevails, as this: "Of what real service is Christianity to man?" There are three classes, I conceive, who are grossly wrong on this question:

First: Those who maintain that it is a positive injury. There are many who aver, by significant and plausible insinuations, as well as by broad and bold statements, that Christianity has injured rather than benefitted the race. They tell us how it has warped the judgments of men, and

nurtured morbid sentimentality; how it has sectionized society, reared the throne of spiritual despotism, and served the ends of superstition, priestcraft, and tyranny. They point us to the inquisitions, prisons, and stakes, of past ages; and to the property, that, in its holy name, is now wrung from the blood and sinews of the toiling population.

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Secondly: Those who maintain that many elevating forces at work in society. done some good as well as much evil—that it is generally of service to men in a low stage of civilization; and that, like the theories and superstitions of old times, it has its mission, which it will fulfil; and then, like them, become obsolete, and be left behind, as the race advances in intelligence and manly virtue.

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Thirdly Those who maintain that it does everything for These say, there is nothing good in the world but Christianity. No good in nature, no good in science, no good in the best feelings of man, without Christianity: that if man has Christianity, he needs nothing more-it does everything for him.

Now these conflicting sentiments suggest the propriety, and urge the necessity, of raising the question, "Of what real use is Christianity to man?" The incident before us will supply a two-fold answer-NEGATIVE AND

AFFIRMATIVE.

I. THE INCIDENT SUGGESTS THAT CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT COUNTERACT THE NATURAL CHANGES TO WHICH MAN'S PHYSI

CAL LIFE IS SUBJECT. "When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee." Peter, notwithstanding his defects, was a genuine disciple of Christ. Christianity had penetrated, fired, and transmuted, his nature: yet, notwithstanding this, Christ foretells that he should experience the natural decay of old age. The Christianity in Peter's soul

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would not prevent time wearing out his body. It is difficult to conceive of a more solemn idea, as to the effect of age, than that which our Saviour here represents. Christ teaches, that age incapacitates man from executing his volitions. This is slavery. To have a strong desire to do a thing, without the executive power, is the veriest vassalage. man is bound in chains, and enclosed in a prison, yet has no desire to walk abroad, he is no slave. The paralytic that was brought to Jesus, is the true picture of a slave. He had the will to ply his members and move his muscles; but he could not. This, Christ here teaches, is the effect of age upon us. "When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest." Thou couldst ply the oar in the water, roam the fields, and scale the hills: there was an energy in thy limbs, a flexibility in the movements of thy young frame, by which thou couldst readily execute thy desires. "But when thou shalt be old," &c. Age leaves the will in vigor, but steals away the executive power. Now, Christianity will not prevent this natural effect of age. It will not prevent the bloom fading from the cheek, the brightness passing from the eye, the strength from dying out of the limb. It allows nature to take its course. Christianity neither offers resistance to the regular course of nature, nor an atonement for her violations.

This fact shows three things:

First: It shows that physical sufferings are no criteria for individual moral states. Some of the best of men are the greatest sufferers. Some of the most useful die in the zenith of life, and in the midst of usefulness. A rankling thorn in the flesh is consonant with the piety of an Apostle.

Secondly: It shows that Christianity respects the ordinances of nature. However deeply you may drink into the spirit of Christianity, however consecrated you may be to its service, you rebel against nature you must suffer.

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Thirdly: It shows, that if the disciples of Christ would be physically happy, they must attend like other men to phy

sical laws. If you are in want of physical comforts, it is of no use for you to sing, the "Lord will provide," and sit down in indolence and sloth.

II. THE INCIDENT SUGGESTS THAT CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT GUARD A MAN FROM THE SOCIAL OPPRESSIONS OF LIFE. "When thou shalt be old," &c. It is here foretold that Peter should die of crucifixion. His hands should be stretched forth, his arms would be extended, on a cross; and he would be led to a death of violence, at which his nature would revolt. About forty years after this, Peter died a martyr. His Christianity did not deliver him from the malice of men, the storm of persecution, and the agonies of a martyr's death. Christianity promises us no escape from the opposition of wicked men; indeed it teaches us to expect it. It teaches us that, they who live righteously, "must suffer persecution." "Marvel not if the world hate you," &c. The world has ever persecuted its best men. This fact shows:

First That Christianity can do without the favor of the world. It does not require, or authorise, its disciples in the slightest degree to compromise their principles, in order to gain the patronage of mankind; but to carry them out in all their fulness and force, even though it cause the world to be in arms.

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Secondly That Christianity can do without the lives of its most devoted disciples, rather than without their fidelity.

III. THE INCIDENT SUGGESTS THAT CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT SOLVE THE SPECULATIVE PROBLEMS OF LIFE.

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"Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?" As if he had said, Why am I thus to be dealt with ? What is to become of him (John); is he to be crucified also; or will he be allowed to live the natural term of life? this question, Jesus replies, "What is that to thee?" There are many questions which the events of life force upon us, to which Christianity offers no response. Why are we in such suffering, whilst others, who contemn our